Five things we learned #ByYourSide at Pride

Published

30 September 16

As the nights draw in and we put on an extra layer of clothing, here at Stonewall we’re all still glowing from a summer of Prides.

This year we went to 25 Prides – the most we’ve ever been to. Our team met thousands of LGBT people and allies, from North Wales to Brighton, Hull to Glasgow, and we learned a few things along the way.

1. Orlando has really brought people together

The horrendous mass killing of LGBT people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in June was a stark reminder to the LGBT community around the world that there is still a long way to go before we can truly feel safe being ourselves and loving who we love. Over the summer, many people we spoke to at their local Pride wanted to know more about what they can do to help achieve equality across the world.

2. LGBT people across the world: We Are #ByYourSide

This summer we launched our #ByYourSide campaign – a message of solidarity to LGBT people in Britain and abroad that we will work side by side with you, so that everyone, everywhere can be free to be themselves. More than:

3. The youth are revolting

Haha, not really. We met so many amazing young LGBT people at every Pride, often draped in rainbow, bi and trans flags. For many, it was their first Pride and it was so heart-warming to see their relief and delight in seeing themselves as part of a big LGBT community. We held Youth Pride events in Manchester and London, with 190 young LGBT people coming to workshops and marching with us.

5. Small Prides rock!

We went to quite a few smaller Prides for the first time this year, including Cumbria and Hull, and the response was amazing. Stonewall is here for all LGBT people, wherever you are, and we look forward to working with more small Prides next year.

Tell us your thoughts

We’re already excited about planning next year’s Pride programme. Were there any great Prides you attended that you think we should be at? Would you like to volunteer with Stonewall next year and help us reach more people?